Next Public Forum on taxpayer service needs and preferences to be held in Washington DC on May 17

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson will hold a public forum in Washington, DC to discuss what taxpayers want and need from the IRS to comply with their tax obligations. The Public Forums unites speakers from the tax community, IRS advisory boards, and nonprofit and government researchers to discuss the future state of the IRS.

The public forum will be held Tuesday, May 17, at 10:00 a.m. in the IRS Headquarters Building, 1111 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC Members of the public and the media are invited to attend.

Building on initiatives already implemented, the IRS for the past two years has been developing a “Future State” plan that envisions how it will operate in five years and beyond. It is continuing to develop a path for how it gets from its “Current State” to the “Future State,” including refinements to the vision along the way. A central component of the plan is the creation of online taxpayer accounts as a convenient but non-exclusive channel through which taxpayers will be able to obtain information from and interact with the IRS.

In the National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2015 Annual Report to Congress, Ms. Olson expressed concerns about whether the IRS’s “Future State” plan adequately addresses taxpayer needs. To further public awareness and dialogue, she announced plans to hold a series of public forums around the country. The objective of the public forums is to ensure the “Future State” plan will better reflect the needs and preferences of U.S. taxpayers as they seek to comply with the tax code.

This forum will include a three-part panel presentation and discussion on the digital behavior of Americans, including trends for future usage, and will conclude with an opportunity for public comment. Invited representatives include:

The public forum will take place in the IRS Auditorium, Internal Revenue Service Building, 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20224. Due to building security procedures, visitors must enter at the Constitution Avenue entrance. In addition, all visitors must present photo identification to enter the building. Because of access restrictions, the IRS will not admit visitors beyond the immediate entrance area more than 30 minutes before the public forum begins. For information about having your name placed on the building access list to attend the public forum, contact Deborah Powell at (202) 317-6100.